Weight Watchers - A Double Meaning

The term 'weight watcher' carries the same connotation that the word 'dieter' carries; the person must be fat, must be overweight, must be obese.  I think that is usually the case, however, in some unusual cases the person is morbidly underweight.  My dear husband, Don, has lost about 30 lbs. in the past year due to his new health issue of heart failure.  Don is on a weight gain diet and has to eat a high calorie diet that includes Ensure Plus, cookies, puddings, potatoes of any kind, cheeses, pastas...well, you get the picture.  The problem he has is that he has NO appetite or he may have a problem with losing what he ate.

So, yes, he is watching his weight and trying to get the numbers to go up!  Meanwhile, I, on the other hand, am trying to get my numbers to go down.  Now, there's a conundrum.  Weight watching can be extremely preoccupying and can cause you to think of nothing but food all day long.  Between thinking about what Don needs to be eating and how often and what I need to be eating and how often, I seem to be spending at least half of my day either planning or preparing meals, snacks, and food shopping lists.

Good wholesome well balanced meals are not hard to plan or prepare, but sometimes it does get bothersome.  Sauces have to be geared for Don's consumption or for mine, there just aren't any sauces that are high calorie and low calorie!  Go figure!!


I'm lucky because I was blessed with a husband that is neither demanding nor finicky, but he's just not capable of eating some things and, as with many people, Don can take just so much vegetables and fruits before he balks.  Don has never thought much about food, has never craved anything in particular, can go for hours and hours without food or even thinking about food.  I wonder if all thin people are like that?!?!

I'm also lucky because I do love vegetables, grain, and legumes.  That doesn't mean there aren't times when I could and would just absolutely adore having a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy!  A big piece of cherry pie!

Jim Davis once said, "Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie!" 
Sounds like a good idea to me...but, alas, I have lost 18 lbs in 18 weeks and I know that I must continue to lose and keep it off.  But...don't you get tired of hearing things like, 'all things in moderation' or 'it's not what you eat, it's portion size' and so on.  Oh, good grief, some of us just love to eat and it's a struggle and a compromise to gain even a little control.  Give us some credit, please...